STATE-OF-THE-ART GIANT FERRY INDUCTED INTO P&O FERRIES’ FLEET TO SERVE DOVER-CALAIS ROUTE

DOVER, ENGLAND / DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, - Wednesday, March 30th 2011 [ME NewsWire]


P&O Ferries, a subsidiary of Port and Free Zone World and sister company of global port operator DP World, has announced the formal naming and induction of a revolutionary new ship into its popular ferry service between Dover in England and Calais in France.

Britain's Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes officiated at a ceremony in Dover's Eastern Docks last week, boarding the state-of-the-art ship to a standing ovation and naming it Spirit of Britain.

The ceremony was attended by some 300 VIP guests aboard the 49,000 tonne ferry, which is 213 metres long and 31.4 metres wide.

With a capacity for up to 2,000 passengers, and three separate vehicle decks capable of carrying nearly four kilometres of traffic parked end to end, Spirit of Britain opens a new era in cross-English Channel travel for the 21st century. It will make five journeys between Dover and Calais every 24 hours.

Her revolutionary design, with a unique hull form that reduces drag in shallow Channel waters and enhances fuel economy, means P&O Ferries will be able to carry twice the payload of today’s ferries for the same running costs, both boosting the company’s environmental credentials and helping to keep ticket prices low.

HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, Ports and Free Zone World, said:

“As the leading cross-Channel ferry operator, P&O Ferries has set many firsts over the years. The introduction of the Spirit of Britain marks a significant technological leap forward for passenger service while operating in a more environmentally friendly way. We congratulate P&O Ferries on this achievement and wish them even greater success in the years to come.”

The vessel is the first passenger ferry in the world to comply with the new International Maritime Organisation’s “Safe Return to Port” requirements, ahead of the international compliance date.

Spirit of Britain will be joined on the Dover-Calais service by an identical twin sister ship, Spirit of France, in September.
Contacts

P&O Ferries ,UK

Brian Rees

Head of Press and Public Relations

+44 (0)1304 863833

brian.rees@poferries.com



Hasaad Communications:

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Director, Media

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